May usually signals the beginning ofFlorida's rainy season, although it is not at all unusual for May to be as dry as March and April
some years. On average we can expect to receive nearly seven inches of rain this month, the daily high temperature rises to about 85º while the daily low does not usually fall below 71º. In
May, the prevailing wind direction is from the east-southeast with an average velocity of 9.5 miles per hour.

Along with the warmer and wetter weather come the insects: Chinch bugs, scale insects, caterpillars, grasshoppers, katydids, and an army
of other bugs. But be cautious with the insecticides as along with the bad bugs come thebeneficial insects such as bees, butterflies and ladybugs. Indiscriminate and over use of
insecticides tends to throw off the natural good-bug/bad-bug balance in your garden. Over time the bad bugs tend to build up their resistance to the poison and become less controllable while the
pollinators and predators become weaker and their numbers decline. When this happens you will end up using more and stronger poisons to control the bad bugs. They in turn will become more
resistant and the cycle will continue to the point where the bad bugs will thrive while the critters that should be in your garden will not and your garden will require massive doses of insecticide
to do well (for example, consider how ineffective Fire Ant poisons are). Meanwhile you will notice that birds, lizards, frogs and toads, bees and butterflies are no longer present in your
yard.

May in theFloridaGardenis also the time for several flowering trees and vines to show off their best. The list
includes Tabebuia (magnificent golden blooms), Bougainvillea (with colors of red, yellow, peach, purple, crimson, pink, white, apricot, magenta, orange and highlights and mixes of all of
the above depending on the variety of the plant), Wisteria (which can grow and flower in South Florida, but flowers better further north), Tibouchina (purple or pink flowers), Golden Shower Tree,
Yellow Poinciana, and Crape Myrtle (cloaked in many colors including red, pink and purple).

May is also the month to consider heavy pruning of many plants including trees which may be a threat during the upcoming hurricane season. When
fertilized and watered, if required, they will come back and produce dense, bushy growth during this month despite the pruning.

May is the month to begin planting trees, shrubs and vines. But wait until after the first rainy spell to plant so that the ground is
thoroughly wet. Even then continue to water as needed in case the rains do not soak your area as expected. If you are still hoping to plant a traditional vegetable, herb or annual garden
this month these are your best bets: